Review: Yohann Wood Stand For MacBook

Note: This post has been updated since it was originally published to reflect revised MacBook compatibility.

Most of us who rely on a laptop for work don’t actually use it on our lap. It’s more commonly sitting on a desk. And for many people (myself included) it’s being used in place of a traditional PC. That means the laptop essentially becomes a display, with a wireless keyboard and mouse being used for input. This setup can be an ergonomic nightmare unless you raise that laptop up on a stand, bringing the display closer to eye level. There are plenty of laptop stands to choose from, but the Yohann stand for MacBook is different. It brings a minimalist design aesthetic and the warmth of solid wood. This stand has the goal of optimizing ergonomics with an Apple laptop, but wants to add a bit of beauty to your workspace while doing so.

Unboxing and Initial Impression

The Yohann wood stand for MacBook arrives simply packaged in a plain cardboard box. Inside, was a beautifully finished chunk of Walnut. The wood’s natural grain popped, the entire object is precisely cut, sanded smooth and finished with an oil that brings out the color without making it unnaturally shiny.

The Yohann wood stand for MacBook (in Walnut) gives few visual clues to its purpose.BRAD MOON

The only hints to what it might actually be used for are a thin strip of black nonslip material on the lip, and the Yohann logo inscribed on the bottom. When I showed it to people, they agreed it looked very nice, but had no idea what it actually was.

This is a stand that is actually unable to “stand” on its own. Set it bottom down and let go, and it will immediately tip over. To use it, you open a MacBook, insert the front edge of the laptop under a grooved lip, then tilt the whole thing back. With the weight of the laptop, the stand is now balanced. It looks like there’s no way it should work, but it does. It also looks as though it would eventually bend the laptop case, since a lip of wood clamping down on the edge means a very tiny section of the surface is supporting all the weight, but all Apple laptops are made of CNC machined aluminum. They can take it.

Six Ways Yemen Is In Crisis

In action, the Yohann stand is like no other laptop stand you’ve seen, integrating with the MacBook to form what looks like a sleek aluminum and wood sculpture. But it also fulfills the function of raising the MacBook so the display is closer to eye level. And with no surface to sit on, the bottom of the laptop should cool more easily. All ports are also clear of obstruction.